Swell Fuel has built and tested 53 ocean energy converter prototypes as of 8/7/08. When you build a prototype your pride wants to believe it’s a great idea but in the end the ocean gets to determine that (the waves are always too small or too big, the current pulls your device too hard in the wrong direction making it less effective and the salt water leaks into your submerged parts ultimately destroying your dreams). We scrapped so many prototypes that worked but just did not work good enough. The Lever Operated Pivoting Float (LOPF) has Out Performed the other prototypes in every category: highest power output, simplest to build, very easy to install, definitely the most survivable in huge waves and lowest cost to build and maintain.
The LOPF on a large scale can adjust for big tide changes while being tightly fastened to the ocean floor without ever experiencing any slack in the line. The LOPF is like a “see saw“ with a heavy generator on one end and the anchor on the other. When the wave gets too big the float rotates on it’s end and is submerged. It works great in small and large waves. Strong current or wave direction have little effect on the device and it only uses one anchor line. If you have thousands of ocean energy converters they will have to be serviced all year long and that means, going out to exchange them when the weather is less than perfect. If it takes too long, it’s too dangerous, too difficult, or cost too much to exchange the devices it won’t be commercially viable, it will be a big piece of million dollar junk. The LOPF is like a boat with an anchor and only needs a wench to pull the float tight to the anchor line so they can be fastened together, quickly and inexpensively exchanging them. Drag one out there and drag one back, the same day. The seals on the LOPF will be above water 95% of the time making water penetration not a critical problem.
So far there have been at least 1 million people world wide that have seen or heard about the LOPF, from television news, magazines, new releases, Youtube, Google Adwords and this web site. We believe that someday the LOPF’s will produce thousands if not millions of megawatts around the planet. The cat is out of the bag now. Flying had been a dream of man for possibly a thousand years and in a matter of ten years became a reality. Flying had become an absolute necessity for national defense and you either rose to the challenge or suffered the consequences.
